The small Cirillo Estate, run by winemaker Marco Cirillo and his wife Annika Lehmann, was one of the first modern wineries in Barossa to truly focus on Grenache. In the 1970s, the Cirillo family purchased their Light Pass vineyard, planted in 1848 with Grenache and Sémillon. The vineyard survived the relatively recent decimation of Barossa Grenache stocks, no doubt in part due to its exceptional location on sandy soils, proving to be the best suited to Grenache in Barossa. After selling their fruit to wineries such as Rockford and Torbreck for decades, Marco Cirillo took over, and the estate was born. Today it remains home to unique Barossan expressions and excellent value, particularly among the entry-level wines. ANGUS HUGHSON

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The Barossa has some of the oldest grenache vines in the world. In fact, it’s believed the Cirillo family are the custodians of the oldest, planted in their Light Pass vineyard in 1848. Today we’re offering you a wine made from these revered relics and it’s spectacular, the Cirillo 1850 Ancestor Vine Grenache 2017.

We tasted the wine this week, with such purebred fruit the onus is on the Cirillos not to stuff it up. They need to pick the fruit with perfect ripeness and not smother it in oak. Their respectful winemaking has let the natural assets of this ‘world beater’ shine through. It’s a beauty!

Light Pass has sandy soils which grenache loves (and Phylloxera hates). Sand injects freshness and buoyancy into the intensely fruited red berry cores of these old gnarly bush vines. It’s incredible to think the oldest grenache vineyard in the world lies between Nurioopta and Angaston – we should be shouting this from the rooftops.

Many in the know have long sourced grapes from this distinguishable site, both Rockford and Torbreck have been long-term clients. The Grillo’s have been growers in the Barossa for many years, it was Marco Grillo who turned the estate around and started making their own wine.

This is one of our treasures, it’s the only Australian wine to be selected by Antonio Galloni and Vinous team to be on show at the Vinous Icons event taking place this year in New York.

2017 was a late vintage in the Barossa, the grapes had loads of time to build flavour and structure. It’s turned out a ‘beautifully textured and weighted, and despite quite serious underlying power, it remains light on its feet.’ It’s embryonic and doesn’t taste like it has six years already under its belt.

We’re offering this today for $59 each in a 6 pack – compare that price to some of the high-flying Chateauneuf du Papes of the world (you could buy six of these for a bottle of CNDP).